Unplugged

Despite digital gadgets, half of UK families still play board games

Our lives might be awash with high-tech gaming gadgets like Apple's iPad and Sony's new Playstation Vita, but board games are still holding their own, according to a new survey from the other side of the pond.

The survey, conducted by life insurance company Aviva, found that some 54% of British families still play board games together -- and a full three-quarters of parents are happy to let the kids win.

In what's nothing if not a diverse selection of other discoveries, it also found road-trip singalongs remain a popular pastime for nearly two-thirds of families, and while most households still sit down together for a meal at weekends, less than one in six children help with the dishes afterwards.

"The fast pace of modern life means that sometimes we take everyday things for granted," commented Louise Colley, Aviva's head of protection sales and marketing. "But it's really heart-warming to see that so many families still get a kick out of such basic things as going for a walk or watching a film together."

Heart-warming? She hasn't seen our clan after a rousing game of Risk. Trust us, the only hearts that are getting warmed around here are those of the losers, impaled on sticks and roasting gently over an open fire.